WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Bemidji State can’t keep up with Gophers in series opener

BSU_Hockey web art.jpg — Bemidji State Beavers

By Pioneer Staff Report

February 04, 2022 at 11:28 PM

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Bemidji State women’s hockey team fell down early against No. 1 Minnesota on Friday in Minneapolis. But the Gophers were only starting to get rolling, scoring two goals in the first period, one in the second and four in the third to win 7-0.

Peyton Hemp and Abigail Boreen lit the lamp for Minnesota in the first 20 minutes, with Audrey Wethington adding the third goal in the second period. Catie Skaja, Amy Potomak, Hemp and Savannah Norcross contributed Gopher scores in the final session.

Kerigan Dowhy had the unenviable task of keeping the Gophers at bay and stopped 43 of 50 shots faced.

Former BSU goalie Lauren Bench stopped 26 shots to earn the win and shutout for the U of M (21-7-1, 16-6-1 WCHA). Bench also made her 100th career start between the two schools on Friday. She appeared in 73 games for Bemidji State from 2017-20.

The Beavers (10-14-3, 7-14-2 WCHA) return to the ice against the Gophers at 4:01 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, back in Minneapolis.

Minnesota 7, Bemidji State 0

BSU 0 0 0 -- 0

UM 2 1 4 -- 7

First period -- 1, UM GOAL, Hemp (Huber, Knowles), 1:23; 2, UM GOAL, Boreen (Heise, Skaja), 18:26.

Second period -- 3, UM GOAL, A. Wethington (M. Wethington, Brown), 11:25.

Third period -- 4, UM GOAL, Skaja (Boreen, Heise), 7:07, PP; 5, UM GOAL, Potomak (Norcross), 9:25; 6, UM GOAL, Hemp (Oden), 12:27; 7, UM GOAL, Norcross (A. Wethington, Nicholson), 13:30.